Princess Margaret would reportedly shout out the words "run him down' whenever she saw one high-profile courtier. The late royal, who died aged 71 in February 2002, was reportedly left with major "sadness" after calling off her engagement to Group Captain Peter Townsend - who has often been dubbed her "first love". And she blamed one key figure for the heartbreaking move.

Tommy Lascelles, who was born on this day in 1887, held the role of Private Secretary to both the late George VI and Elizabeth II. He was also Margaret's elderly neighbour at Kensington Palace. But Margaret reportedly did not view him in a positive light - with the princess blaming him for being a driving force in the breakdown of her relationship with Peter Townsend.

Anytime Margaret would see Tommy, who died aged 94 in 1981, she would reportedly shout for him to be "run down".

The late Queen’s private secretary was one of the people reportedly against her relationship with the divorcée. After the Princess was forced to give up her lover, Tommy was one of the people she blamed for ruining her life.

Peter, who was 16 years older than Margaret, was previously married to Miss Cecil Rosemary Pawle - who later had an affair behind his back. After finding out about her affair, Peter later filed for divorce in November 1952. Speaking of what attracted him to Margaret, Peter is said to have said: "She was a girl of unusual, intense beauty, confined as it was in her short, slender figure and centered about large purple-blue eyes, generous, sensitive lips, and a complexion as smooth as a peach..."

As well as facing an outcry from the public, Margaret needed to gain permission from the Queen - her sister - to marry a divorcée as she was under the age of 25.

After her 25th birthday, Margaret was still denied permission to marry Peter. The government, which was then led by divorced Prime Minister Anthony Eden, decided that if Margaret insisted on marrying Peter then she would be stripped of all her royal privileges as well as her income.

Speaking of her decision not to marry Peter, Margaret said: "I would like it to be known that I have decided not to marry Group Captain Peter Townsend. I have been aware that, subject to my renouncing my rights of succession, it might have been possible for me to contract a civil marriage.

"But, mindful of the Church's teaching that Christian marriage is indissoluble, and conscious of my duty to the Commonwealth, I have decided to put these considerations before any others."